Things to Do Before Hiring a Freelancer

More digital startups and small businesses rely on freelance workers to help them get on their feet without the high cost of hiring full-time employees. This is due to the fact that most of the services of a freelance worker provides are perfect for projects that don’t require the labor of a full-time employee. Usually, these projects last only a few weeks and are under creative fields such as writing, graphic design, and web design. Some other popular jobs include programming, consulting, and office assistance (personal assistant, data entry, etc).

If you are sold on the idea of hiring a freelancer, here are some of the things you should do to get you on the right track.

Go for a global workforce – When looking for freelancers, you don’t have to settle for workers in your country, especially if their rates are high. You can tap a global platform — such as Freelancer.com — where you can find freelancers in over 247 countries. Not only are you getting a wider audience for your job posting but you are also cutting back on labor costs.

Find the best platform – You must find a site that is able to connect you to a large, international workforce that’s equipped with the right skills you need. Also, make sure that the platform is secure enough to process payments and withhold it in case the person you hired failed to deliver the expected quality of work.

Freelancer.com has millions of users that specialize in hundreds of sub-categories under areas such as software development, writing, data entry and design, right through to engineering, the sciences, sales and marketing, accounting, and legal services. It is also easy to navigate. All you need to do is post your project, wait for bids, compare proposals and price, and then select the best freelancer. To find out more visit this page.

Set your budget – To ensure that you are getting your money’s worth without over or underpaying an employee, you must first research acceptable rates for the project you have in mind and then compare it with your budget on-hand. The next step is to set aside about 10 percent from your budget and only offer 90 percent in case freelancers assume that your price is open for negotiation. Be prepared for a flexible budget but don’t go beyond.

Prepare a contract – Even if you think that it would be a waste of time to write up a contract for a job that won’t last a few days, you should still consider it. You want to ensure that there is a signed document that establishes the basics of the work so that no matter what happens, you and your worker are on the same page when it comes to project scope, timeline, deadlines, payment, and other information such as intellectual property and confidentiality agreements.

Write up your project details – When it comes to describing the project you want done, don’t leave any details behind. Find time to explain what you want to avoid encountering any difficulties during the work process. Ask yourself how the project should look, as well as how it should work and feel like, then jot all of these down into the description. Through this, your freelancer would have a clearer idea of what you want, which saves time as it avoids revision and rework.

Post your project – Simply post your project on your chosen crowdsourcing or outsourcing platform and wait for the pool of workers to offer their services. Be ready to spend some time scrutinizing their previous works or sending them questions related to the project. Ensure that they are equipped to take on the job and that they are very committed to the project until it reaches completion.

Check resumes, portfolios, and profile pages – Read through what freelancers have written about themselves. Resumes, portfolios, and profile pages not only say something about jobs accomplished but also show the workers’ personalities. Look for things that make them stand out from the crowd. Doing this will take some time, but when you have finally found that one person, you will have peace of mind knowing that your meticulous judgment had a hand in the selection process.

Communicate – Sometimes, checking the portfolio may not be enough. To finally nail the deal, communicate with the freelancer of your choice. Ask questions about the project and gauge the freelancer’s ability through the person’s answers. Check if the person is knowledgeable and driven enough to commit and finish the job with flying colors.

These are some of the things that you should do before jumping into contract signing. It may be tricky to find someone on the Internet, but rest assured that there is a website like Freelancer.com ready to connect you with trusted and talented freelancers worldwide. Sign up for an account today!